ÔÎÒÎÃÐÀÔÈÈ

Diamonds were discovered in the alluvial plain of the Bushimaye river about a hundred years ago.
This led to the development of one of the largest world producers of industrial diamonds known under the name of MIBA (Minière de Bakwanga). The production of this company has severely dropped and has been almost unexistant in 2007 due to severe financial problems.

In the meanwhile diggers who have always been active outside the official "mining polygon" are still at work. Along the banks of the river you will see hundreds of them moving the alluvions in search for a few carats.
These diamonds found in the alluvial plain are litterally "flood diamonds"... I would not call them "blood diamonds" although the trading route of the diamonds is quite complex and might well escape the rules of the so-called "Kimberley protocol".

In the workshop you can see one of these stones that I was offered for 150 $ by a diamond trader (the very first one of a long chain)... for not being trained in diamond expertise I preferred to decline the offer.